Bicycle



(No Model.)

R. F. BARTEL.

BICYCLE.

No. 594,773. 'Patented Nov. 30,1897.

INVENTOR wjarl BY ATTORNEYS 1 Nirnn ATarts RUDOLPH F. BARTEL, OFV BAYONNE, NEW JERSEY.

BICYCLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 594,7 73, dated November 30, 1897.

Application filed .Tuly 9, 1896. Serial No. 598,577. (No model.)

T all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that l, RUDOLPH F. BARTEL,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Bayonne, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Bicycles, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple construction of bicycle; and the invention resides in the lnovel features of construction set forth in the following specification and claims and illustrated in the annexed drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a bicycle. Fig. 2 is a sectional View of parts on an axle, the section being taken along line w w, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section along line tr Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a section along line y y, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a section along line z z, Fig. l.

The frame comprises the parts 1 and 2, with brace or connecting part 3. The part 1 is tubular and has secured thereto a collar 4,

vcarrying a split collar 5, Fig. 3,Which by clamp 6 can be made to iix or secure the saddle-post 7. In the part 1 turns a stem or tube 8, extending from cross-head 9 of fork l0, in which is mounted the steering and driving Wheel 1l. Secured to fork 10 or to its cross-head 9 are lugs or plates 12, forming a projecting support in which are iiXed tubes 13, Fig. 1, in which by clamps 14 can be adjustably Xed the handles 15,Which are provided With stems or arms which curve toward the head-sleeve and theninto substantial parallelism With the saine, so that the parallel` portions of each handle 15 can be set into its respective tube 13. lThe handles 15 can be set in convenient position for traveling either with the handles in front of or behind the rider or at the sides of the ride-r, as desired. This is effected by loosening the clamps 14 and turning the handles into the position required, afterwhichthe said clamps are again tightened. The wheel 16 is mounted in fork 17, the stem of which can be adjustably secured in tubular frame part 2 by a clamp or collar 18.

The rotation of stem 8 in tube or frame part 1 is eased by balls 19 and 20, placed into suitable races formed by the part 21 of frame part 1 and by race part 22 on cross-head 9 and by the race parts 23 and 24 on collar 4 and stem 8.

- The Wheel l1 is rotated by pedals or cranks 25, 'which for speeding are not connected directly to Wheel 1l. These pedals 25 are xed to a rotary shaft 26, Fig. 2, turning in the sleeve or tube 27 which is tiXed or non-rotary, being secured by screW-collars 28 to fork 10. The pedals 25 rotate the gear 29, meshing into gear 30, the stud 31 of which rotates in a tine of fork 10 and carries gear 32, engaging gear 33, iXed to hub 34 of Wheel 1l.

The hub has an inner wall 35, forming an oil-chamber 36, and oil can be introduced through the openin g 37, usually closed by cap or closure 38. From chamber 36 oil can pass through aperture 39 to sleeve 27, and through the aperture 40 in this sleeve oil ca'n pass to pedal-shaft26. Theballsbetweenhub34and collar 28 and between this collar and gear 29, as also the balls about the stud 3l, ease the running of the parts.

is to say, adj ustable'up or down or adjustable rotatably-so as. to throw the handle portionsA or free ends to the front, the sides, or to the rear of the saddle, as desired, each handle being adjustable by itself.

While mentioning bicycles it is of course understood that velocipedes or vehicles with three or more wheels, as well as bicycles, may embody the invention.

It seen fit, one of the wheels can be used only for driving and the other Wheel only for steering.

The collar 28 can be screwed more or less home as required to form a snug race for the ballsI 42, and collar 43 can be tightened more or less to snugly seat the balls 4l.

By inserting the tubular stem 8 in the steering-post 1 and the saddle-post 7 in both, as shown in Fig. 3, 1 not only reduce the eX- pense of construction, but simplify the frame and make it lighter as well as stronger in proportion to its weight. Moreover, I am able by this arrangement to use ball-bearings between the tubular stem and the steering-post and between the saddle-post and stem to great advantage, since any binding between the stem and saddle-post will merely shift the bearing-point to the ball-bearings 19 orto the ball-bearings 20, or to both.

By having a collar 2S provided with a iiange 44 of such width or diameter that the rim of the flange extends or lies beyond the hub 34 sueh collar 2S can be readily adjusted, as its flange 44 offers ready means for the engagement of a wrench or tool or for grasping by hand, as the flange 44 is usually milled. Vhen adjusted, the collar 28 can be fixed in position by a jam-nut or screw-collar 45, adapted to be set or jammed against a tine of fork l0, the collar 28 being externally threaded to receive such lock-nut 45.

Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A bicycle-frame having a tubular head, a fork: having a tubular stem which enters the lower end of the tubular head, a saddlepost which enters the upper end of the said head and passes downward into the tubular stem el' the forli, said tubular head having at its upper end a clamp or collar for detachably ixing or securing the saddle-post and said saddle-post being made to extend or sit loosely in the tubular fork-stem so as to be movable or adjustable on the loosening of the clamp and to leave the tubular head and fork-stem undisturbed relatively to one another as the post is adjusted, substantially as set forth.

2. In a bicycle, the combination with a tubular frame-head or head-sleeve of a fork having a tubular stem entering the lower end of the frame-head, a saddle-post entering the upper end of the latter and passing down into the tubular stem, steering-handles having arms eurved toward and then into substantial parallelism with the frame-head and lugs or plates rigidly mounted on the fork and provided with rigid tubes extending upward in substantial parallelism with the framehead, in front and on opposite sides of which said tubes are arranged, the parallel parts of the arms on the steering-handles being inserted in said tubes and fastened by clamps, substantially as described.

A driving or rotary axle, a fixed sleeve through which said axle extends, a rotary hub made to surround the sleeve and connected or geared to the axle, and supporting collars for the sleeve, each collar having raceseetions for interposed balls between the collar and hub and between the collar and axle, and one of the collars being screw-threaded or adjustable so as to also serve for tightening or loosening ball-races, said adjustable collar having a flange made to extend beyond the hub whereby the eollarmay be readily adjusted, and a jam or lock nut upon the exterior of said collar, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RUDOLPH l BARTEL.

Vitnesses:

WM. C. IIAUFF, E. F. KAsTnNI-IUBER. 

